LA GUERRE IRAN-IRAK. première guerre du Golfe 1980-1988

An essential work, based on the unpublished archival sources, by one of the
finest Middle East specialists today.

It clearly sets out what was at stake in the Middle East in the early 80s and relates that history to the current geopolitical situation. Whether considering Iran's nuclear power plans or political crises in Iran and Iraq, it is impossible to understand the situation in the Gulf today without comprehending the complex mechanisms, the deep-rooted hatreds, the implacable power struggles, and the persistent frustrations that are the direct result of this ruthless war. The images of the Iran-Iraq War that drenched the Persian Gulf region in blood from 1980 to 1988 were so shocking that they remain in the minds of all: the sacrifice of child soldiers, trenches awash in blood, the corpses of the gassed, cities in ruin and oil wells aflame. This war, the longest in the 20th century, was the result of an unyielding confrontation between Saddam Hussein and the Ayatollah Khomeini. This multi-disciplinary work that treats both history and international relations recounts in detail the dreadful conflict. The author also presents an analysis of the attitude of the oil monarchies towards their neighbors and towards Russia, China, and the West. He had access to primary sources that have never before been exploited, including the famous "Saddam Hussein tapes", and has also interviewed many of the protagonists directly involved in the conflict. And he examines, in detail, the numerous shadowy affairs--Irangate, attacks in France, and kidnappings in Lebanon, that are closely linked to this war, the most murderous the Middle East has ever seen. The Gulf War demonstrated the importance of the concept of security of energy supplies and compelled many nations of the West to establish a lasting presence in the Gulf region. In military terms, it was an experimental lab for the honing of innovative strategic tactics as well as a testing ground for the most modern weaponry. Pierre Razoux is a research director at the Institut de recherche stratégique de l'Ecole militaire (IRSEM). Well versed in international relations, an acknowledged Middle East specialist, he has written several works considered references on contemporary conflicts and on the Israeli-Arab situation, in particular Tsahal "Nouvelle histoire de l'armée israélienne" (Perrin, 2006, 2008).